The present disclosure relates to splitboards. A splitboard is a snow gliding board separable into re-joinable splitboard skis. The disclosure particularly relates to devices for latching the splitboard skis together.
Snowboarding is a recreational activity where a rider glides down a snow-covered mountain, hill, or slope while standing with their feet attached to a single snow glide board known as a snowboard. The concept is like snow skiing except when gliding downhill, both feet are attached to a single snow glide board instead of each foot attached to its own separate ski.
Snowboard riders or “snowboarders” often share downhill snow-covered slopes with skiers. Popular downhill slopes are often accessed by ski lifts to take the skier or snowboarder up to the top of the slope. Some snowboarders are interested in accessing downhill slopes in the backcountry away from crowded ski slopes and where the snow is fresh. However, climbing up mountains and slopes with thick fresh soft snow can be challenging.
Splitboards were developed to allow snowboarders access to the backcountry and areas not normally accessible to snowboarders. A splitboard is a snowboard separable into two separate splitboard skis. To climb uphill, or “tour,” the backcountry, the splitboard rider separates the splitboard and uses it like cross-country skis. This is “touring mode.” To ride downhill, the splitboard rider rejoins the splitboard skis and rides the splitboard as they would an ordinary snowboard. This is “riding mode.”
Boot bindings hold the splitboard rider's boots to the splitboard. In touring mode, one boot binding is attached to each splitboard ski like cross-country skis. In riding mode, the boot bindings are fastened across the splitboard skis and hold the splitboard skis together. Nose and tail clips help keep the forward tip and rearward tip of the splitboard skis from separating.
Riding mode requires a sturdy union at the seam between the two splitboard ski halves. Even with boot binding and nose and tail clips holding the board together, there may still be looseness or play between the two splitboard ski halves. If there is play or looseness along the seam in a splitboard, torsional stiffness will not be not optimal and the splitboard skis may flex relative to each other causing the board to behave unpredictably. This can cause the splitboard rider to lose control of the splitboard. Shear forces between the seam and the board face can cause up and down motion of one splitboard ski relative to the other. This can cause one of the splitboard skis to snag in the snow leading to the rider falling.
Latching devices can be placed along intermediate points along the length of the seam between the two splitboard skis to help increase torsional stiffness and reduce flexing of the splitboard skis relative to each other. These latching devices have taken various forms such as buckles or hook clips. These latching devices go by various names in the splitboard trade, depending on their structure; for example, splitboard clips, splitboard hooks, or split hooks.